SIR OLIVER LODGE ON THE WAR. Sir Oliver Lodge is an ardent cham pion of the Allies in tlielr war against Germany. In the course of an article contributed to the January "North American Review" he declares his con*: victlon that they are waging war, not I only against a bullying system which 1 would dominate the world, but; "against the powers of evil, against a policy of lies and of engineered and j intentional brutality." The Prussian j ideal of "a single glorified State, do* i minuting all others, enforcing Us will t despotically, imposing its customs, Us learning, and Its culture on all tho rest of the world" must, ho holds, be ' fought to the death If we would pre* ? serve-our liberties and the liberties ] of the smaller nations. The British ideal of freedom and the German ideal of coercion are pitted against each other, and Sir Olivor Lodge declares that there can bo no halting between two opinions. He has now no doubt I whatever which is the cause of Caal, j and "there can be ...

"Victory Awaits Us." GERMAN MORAL FAILING. COLLAPSE OP PLANS. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S VIEW. Field-Marshal Sir John French, In command of the British Expeditionary Force In France, has been interviewed by the Havas News Agency. Ho Is reported to have said: "This is a tough war, but the pro* blem is a simple one, namely, muni* tions-always more mutinous. This is the essential condition for all progress. The Germans need mu nitions more than the Allies, an.! . they have been economising. The German moral has deteriorated, thus showing weariness duetto the col* lapse of their plans for n lightning victory. Lack of food Is also ham* ^erlng them." "I do not believe in a protracted war," Sir Jolin French continued. . The. spring has begun well for the AjIIus. The damp foggy winter Uaa in nosvhe damped the British soldier*' good hu mour and cheeriness. The French troops are in excellent (oriu also, and' are being well provllec for.'* In conclusion, the Fiold-MariOial said;-"Myself and all those w...

"ONE VAST CEMETERY"! FORTY THOUSAND DEAD. PRZEMYSL'S GRUESOME CONDITION. London, March 25.-The outskirts of Pn:emysl arc one vast cemetery, where 40,000 dead are burled. Piles of corpses and abandoned guns, with &amp;lt; heaps of wreckage or armored trains, 1 destroyed by the Russian scige guns ! litter the ground. Long processions of prisoners are continually passing i through the streets of the town. The small remnant of civilians left, con- j sists chiefly of emaciated Israelites, j

Packing Day. RED CROSS WORK AT YOUNG. FIRST HUNDRED PILLOWS. A BUSY DAY. Showing that interest in both Red Cross and Belgian causes' is decidedly not on,the wane, and that the serious ness of the situation Is being more and more realised by the community, one had only to call on Thursday mor ning at the Packing Depot (Mr. Hod: da's) where four ladies including the hon. secretary were engaged sorting marking and arranging the very large number of garments for Red Cross and many children's garments made by the sewing committee of Red Cross on two special days for Belgian chil dren. The following lists will give some idea of the good work done at Tubbul, Young centre, Sawpit Gully School and Burrangong Heights (the latter already acknowledged in the press). The hon} secretary' thanks Tubbul Branch for the following:-15 t cotton snirts, 2 pairs llannel pyjamas, ! 14 pairs socks, 3 cholera belts, 15 knit ted face washers (made by two little glrls)> 1 muffler, 8 handkerchiefs; Mrs. Hin...

To Pass the Doctor. RUSSIAN FINN'S SACRIFICE. Sydney, March 24.-Amongst those who presented themselves for enlist ment in the Expeditionary Force at the Victoria Barracks to-day, was a Rus sian Finn. His application form sta ted that he Imd not only served through, the South African war, but had also been in the Australian Garri son Artillery. He was accepted for service again, and was passed both by the enrolling olllcer and the doctor. Joyfully he announced that lie was once again going to fight for Australia. When asked the reason for his Jubila tion, he explained that when the war broke out he offered his services. He passed the enrolling olllcer, but when lie was examined by a doctor, a growth was discovered at the base of his spine. He went straight to the hos pital, was operated on, and had the growth removed. Some weeks later, when pronounced quite cured, he again passed the enrolling office, but the doctor discovered a varicose vein in his left leg, extending from the groin...

ATTEMPT TO BRIGHTEN CRICKET In commenting on tho proposal in Now South Wales to reform cricket by having an eight ball over Instead of six balls, "Sporting Life" says the New South Wales 8*ball over will not brighten cricket and will only save a few minutes, while it will prejudicially affect young fast bowlers. The change Is hardly worth the candle." '

DIED IN MOTHER'S ARMS. Mr. E. J. Gordon, 18 years of ago, son oC Mrs. J. Gordon, of Turabarum* ba, committed suicide last week. Ho rode a bicycle from Walwa to Jingellic hotel, where his mother was employed and on'entering his mother's room he threw his arms around her neck, and exclaimed, "Oh, mother, I am dying; I won't live five minutes; I' smoked a cigar I took out of my pocket, where some strychnine was," He expired shortly afterwards. Some strych nine was found loose in his pocket, also a tin hall full of same.. SHOCKING FATALITY. A shocking fatality occurred about ten miles from Germanton on Monday morning, when Mr. Len Humphries, an employee of Messrs. Bunyan Bros. "Woodlands" lost his life. The unfor tunateman was doing something about the engine of a chaffcuttlng plant, which he was driving, when he fell between the flywheel and the wall and was crushed in a frightful manner. Dr. Bowran was telephoned for but be fore his arrival. Mr. Humphries had succumbed. A 'particularl...

AN OLD MAN'S SECRET. Moree, March 24.-An old-age pen sioner, W. H. Home, 75 years of age, who had been camping at Yarraman View, near Gwydir, nine miles from Moree, for about Ave years, shot him self yesterday. Death was apparently Instantaneous. Deceased was very feeble and weak. He told neighbours recently that he would not go over SO, but would "do" himself first. He or dered his coffin, and on Monday asked a neighbour to tell the police to come next morning, "What for?" he was asked. "That's very secret," he re plied. At the coroners inquest to-day the verdict was that death was due to a gunshot wound wilfully inflicted.

Country Press Special to the Wltneie. | DARDANELLESTDISASTER. I HEROIC FRENCH SOLDIERS. | "VIVE LA FRANCE." I London, March 25.-The French bat tleship Bouvet, which was sunk in the Dardanelles, crossed two mine fields, when approaching the exit to the Straits, the commander cleverly avoid ed two mines which destroyers blew up. The third struck the battleship near the magazine. As the-ship "went down, the Captain and'men stood at Attention, saluted the flag, and cried "Vive la France." The Gaulois which was following in an injured condition, was forced to anchor.

MOTOR CAR OVERTURNS. Coonamblc, March 25.-W. Pry (drU ver), W. JI. Rees (shire clerk), W. W. Sullivan ("Coonamble Independent")* John Fagan (stock and station agent), and J. Pagan (grazier), were return ing to CoonanVble from Tyrone races last night in a motor car, when one ot the back tyres blew out in a sandy spot, causing the car to over-turn. Sullivan had his shoulder dislocated, besides being cut about the face and I body. The driver escaped with a few bruises. John Pagan was knocked about considerably, and had his-hip injured. Joseph Fagan escaped with a few cuts and bruises. The car was closely, followed by about a dozen other cars, in one of which was Dr. Curtis, who attended to the sufferers.

BOMB-DROPPiNb. ALLIES AIRMEN ACTIVE.'" London, March 25.-Tlio Allies air men dropped bombs near Rouiers. Some soldiers were wounded and . sheds damaged. ' A bomb dropped near Bruges killed and wounded a aumber of soldiers.

WAITING. ITALY AND AUSTRIA. 1-1BARS OP INVASION. 500,000 TROOPS IN READINESS. London, March 25.-A Rome des* patch says that half a million Austrian troops are massed in Southern Tyrol and Trentino, indicating a fear of an invasion. Virtually oil the villages lie* - tween Dug-ana and Lake -Garcia have | been evacuated. Many houses along i the front have been blown up by teries posted at points of vantage. j

Deaths of Brides. DROWNED IN A BATH. BOGUS HUSBAND ON TRIAL. SENSATIONAL ALLEGATIONS. London, March 24. -At the Bow street Police Court on Tuesday, George Smith, 43 years ot age, described as ot independent means, residing In Rich mond road, Shepherd's Bush, was char ged tvHli having murdered Beatrice Mundy. in July, 1912, Alice Burnham In December, 1013, and Margaret lSlfe abeth Lofty, In .December, 1914. He was arrested originally on tlio charge of having caused to lie inserted In a marriage register a false entry re ating to a marriage between him self, as John Lloyd, and Margaret Eliz abeth Lofty, at the registry oince, Bath on December 17th last, it was stat ed then that the prlsoaer's wife was found dead the day after the marriage and her body was exhumed by order i 'SLi ? ?mn 0fflce" A f°-mcr wife died In similar circumstances «'iiir'lv after marriage. . ) In opening the case lor the iirntecu tion on Tuesday, Mr. Bo.lkln ,4ld that fainlth obtained £2,800 by tile ,It,ill's oh ...

I - ! PERSONAL The Queanoeyan "Age" writes: - "Among the visitors at the Show was Mr. Jas. Molntosh of Young, who is . paying a visit to his brother/Mr. J. M. Mcintosh, J.P. He is as Jovial . as of yore, and to him a visit to Quean* beyan is like a whiff of the heather j from Bonnlo Scotland." I Mr. George Reus, who has carried t on a tobacconist and liairdressing bus* j incss here for many years past (says : tho Teraoru Star) intends commen* I clng business in Sydney, and will leave ! hero next week. On Wednesday next j ho will bo farewelled by the M.U., I I.O.O.F. Lodge members, of which body j Jie is a Past D.G.M. and has.for six ' years been secretary. There was a very happy gathering &amp;nbsp; at "Peach Vale," on Tuesday night last when at the Invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Baldo Cunich a very large num- &amp;nbsp; ber assembled for the purpose of cele- &amp;nbsp; brating the coming of age of their eld- &amp;nbsp; est son, William. Dancing was indulg- ed in until l...

J John Nie's Lone Hand I - - ' ' jv. . 'I PIGHTEM T'LEB MEN.' FORBES COURT CASE. The brawl in Rankin street on the afternoon of Monday, March 15th. when three men named Bell started knocking the Chinamen about at the storo at Browne- street corner, was ended up with a will (says the Forbes Advocate), at the Forbes Court on Tuesday morning, before Mr. Holcomo, P.M. Two rough looking customers, named Edward Ernest Bell and Wil liam Sidney Bell were charged with unlawfully assaulting John Nie, a Chinaman, on the day mentioned. Both pleaded not guilty, but later on they altered their plea aud stated they were guilty. , Mr. D. J. Moloney, appeared on behalf of John Nie, the Chinaman, who fought against odds on the day in question, and was left lying on the road "allee sameo dead," as ho said in the court. Tho P.M. said he desired to hear the facts of the case, so John Nie, a big-headed Chinaman, who seemed to have fully recovered from the effects of tho jough and tumble, went into tho bo...

"ALL TRIERS." COOTAMUXDRA BOYS IN EGYPT. A letter has been received by tho N.S.W. Premier (Mr. Holman) from Sergeant N. PlnUstone, lately ot Coota mundra, now at Mena Camp, Cairo, in the course of which he cays: "In view of the fact that Cootamun dra, the capital of your electorate, has sent more men to assist in the defence of the Empire and the destruction of German militarism than any other town of equal sizo In New South Wales I thought It might interest you to let you know how your constituents are faring in this land of sand and Pyra mids. Although wo are at present un dergoing a hard and monotonous course of training, we have become married to this game of soldiering, which is now the national sport of all the nations. Married to It-not bo cause wo And anything fascinating in trudging over the sandy desert day after day, but because wo know we are assisting Australia to fulfil an obli gation due to the motherland. In this battalion alone there are nearly thirty representative...